Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds - Problem Solution and 5 Finger Retell: Home

1st - 3rd Grades

AASL V.A.1 Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by reading variety and multiple formats. 

AASL III.D.1 Actively contributing to group discussions.

1st Grade 1.R.1.A.d: retelling main ideas in sequence including key details.

2nd Grade 2.R.2.A.a: describe the setting, problems, solutions, sequence of events (plot), and big idea or moral lesson.

3rd Grade 3.R.2.A.a: explain the relationship between problems and solutions.

1 class period of 30 minutes

This lesson was created by Ziggy Stardust from Blank Elementary School. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Students will learn how to determine the problem and solution in a story. Using the story Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds, students will participate in group discussions, listen to a read aloud of the story and then use 5-finger retell to explain to a partner the characters, setting, problem events and solution of the story.

5-Finger Retell PDF

Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds ISBN 978-1534465886

Objectives: Students will identify the problem and solution in a story read aloud.

I Can Statement: I can determine the problem and solution in a story.

Before Reading:

Introduction: Discuss problem and solution. Explain that every story has a problem (something that goes wrong) and a solution (how the problem gets fixed). Provide a simple example: “If you lose your favorite toy (problem), you might look everywhere and then find it (solution).” 

• Introduce Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds. Briefly talk about the book and the author. Mention that it is similar to his other books in style and humor..

During Reading:  

• Illustration Style: How would you describe the way the illustrations look? What do they make you think about?
• Feelings and Changes: How does Jasper’s feelings about the crayon change as we read?
• Make a Prediction: What do you think will happen to solve the problem in the story?

After Reading:  Introduce the 5-Finger Retell Strategy:

• Explain the concept: Hold up one hand and assign each finger a part of the retell:
  • Thumb: Characters – Who is in the story?
  • Pointer: Setting – Where and when does the story take place?
  • Middle: Problem – What is the main problem the characters face?
  • Ring: Events – What happens in the story (sequence of events)?
  • Pinky: Solution – How is the problem solved?
• Visual Aid: Display an anchor chart (linked above) or create one together, illustrating each part of the story with an icon or simple drawing for each finger (e.g., stick figures for characters, a house for setting, etc.).

 Model the Retell: Using a story you’ve just read together, walk the class through each finger:

• Who are the characters? Let’s think about our thumb.
• Where and when did the story happen? Let’s move to our pointer finger for the setting.
• Guide them in recalling each part of the story, modeling how to think about each aspect.

Guided Practice with a Partner: Partner up the students. Ask one student in each pair to begin by retelling the story using the 5-finger retell, while the other listens and helps if needed. After the first student finishes, have them switch roles.

Monitor & Support:

• Walk around the classroom to listen to students’ retells, offering prompts or encouragement as needed.
• If a pair gets stuck, guide them back to the anchor chart and model once more.
• Check for Understanding:
• Call on random students to share one of the story elements, using the corresponding finger. For example:
• Can you tell us about the characters using your thumb?
• What was the problem? Use your middle finger to remind us.
• Repeat with a couple of students to cover all parts of the 5-finger retell.

Wrap-Up: Reflection: Ask students how using their fingers helped them remember the important parts of the story. Encourage them to use this strategy in the future when retelling any story.

Discussion Participation: Listen to students describe the problem and solution. Check if they can clearly explain how the problem was resolved.

Response Review: Assess their understanding by reviewing their answers to discussion questions.

Problem and Solution Diagram: Have students draw a simple diagram showing the problem and solution from the story. They can label each part and add a few sentences describing what happened. This can be as simple as folding a paper in half and writing P on one side and S on the other, then having the student draw the problem and solution.